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Sun starts to feel warm as day lengthens

The polar night ended in January, and the days are getting longer in Finland. That means that daytime and nighttime temperatures may see differences of as much as 10 degrees Celsius. The weather is now perfect for outdoor winter activities.

Talvimaisema
Here comes the sun: Cold and clear weather ahead. Image: Henrietta Hassinen / Yle

Tuesday night was the coldest this week, especially in the east with record lows of minus 31 degrees Celsius in Ilomantsi.

The week continues in subzero conditions, but temperatures will go up somewhat, according to Yle meteorologist Kerttu Kotakorpi.

"The weather this week is perfect for spending time outside," she says. "Temperatures will be at 5-10 degrees below zero and conditions are dry, colder in the north."

It is a fairly typical February for Finland, but signs of spring are emerging, too.

"The sun is warming the earth so that temperature differences between night and daytime can fluctuate by as much as 10 degrees Celsius, as in Central Finland," Kotakorpi says.

Length of the day, Feb 8, 2017
Here is how many hours of sunlight the different latitudes of Finland are experiencing this February.

The rest of the week will continue to be cold, with Friday looking cloudy.

A sure sign of the Earth turning on its axis is that the amount of light in hours per day is growing. In the south the day is lengthening by five minutes daily, and in two weeks' time people will be able to enjoy nearly ten hours of sunlight.